| 1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto
his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have
heard that there is grain in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from
thence; that we may live, and not die. 3 And Joseph's ten brethren went
down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent
not with his brethren; for he said, Lest Peradventure harm befall him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came: for the famine
was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land; he
it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came,
and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth. 7 And
Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto
them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them. Whence come ye? And
they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his
brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which
he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of
the land ye are come. 10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy
food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men,
thy servants are no spies. 12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come. 13 And they said, We thy servants are
twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the
youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 14 And Joseph said
unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth
hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and
let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be
proved, whether there be truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely
ye are spies. 17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live: for I fear
God: 19 if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in your
prison-house; but go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: 20 and
bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye
shall not die. And they did so. 21 And they said one to another, We are
verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his
soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress
come upon us. 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you,
saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also,
behold, his blood is required. 23 And they knew not that Joseph understood
them; for there was an interpreter between them. 24 And he turned himself
about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spake to them, and
took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then
Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with grain, and to restore every man's
money into his sack, and to give them provisions for the way: and thus was it
done unto them.
26 And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the
lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his
sack. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it
is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they turned trembling
one to another, saying, What is this that God hath done unto us? 29 And
they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all
that had befallen them, saying, 30 The man, the lord of the land, spake
roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto
him, We are true men; and we are no spies: 32 we are twelve brethren, sons
of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in
the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us,
Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren with me,
and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way;
34 and bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are
no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and
ye shall traffic in the land.
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every
man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw
their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said
unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is
not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring
him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee
again. 38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother
is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go,
then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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